Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I would suggest, through you Madam Acting Deputy President, that you are not doing yourself any favours, Senator Bernardi. In fact, you should stick to your day job of undermining some of those colleagues of yours in South Australia—because they need undermining. Our overseas friends proudly say how fantastic our Prime Minister and our government were for making the apology to the stolen generation.

I will return to the substance of the debate and talk about my ventures through Indigenous communities. I agree 100 per cent with Senator Evans, the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship. During question time today he made a big call, and his humble statement was to the point and so truthful: none of us—for those listening on the other side of this chamber—have got it right so far. They are very strong words and they are so true. That is why it is very frustrating when we are actually trying to improve the lot of our Indigenous brothers and sisters that we have to listen to some of the tripe that has come out in this debate today from senators opposite.

When you go into an Indigenous community there is nothing worse than seeing some of these—let’s call them buildings for want of a better word. No windows, no doors—